Africa Industrialization Day20 November

"For this year’s Africa Industrialization Day, we are raising awareness of the importance of mobilizing financing for inclusive and sustainable industrialization. To accomplish this, African nations need to embrace transformative policies that will encourage the growth of the private sector, facilitate entrepreneurial initiatives, increase investment and generate durable partnerships.
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Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Workers maintain the thermal power station at Takoradi, Ghana. Photo: World Bank/Jonathan Ernst

Within the framework of the Second Industrial Development Decade for Africa (1991-2000), the UN General Assembly, in 1989, proclaimed 20 November Africa Industrialization Day (resolution 44/237).

The Day is intended to mobilize the commitment of the international community to the industrialization of Africa.

The important contribution of inclusive and sustainable industrialization in helping Africa to overcome its critical development challenges is clearly recognized in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Sustainable Development Goal 9 calls to build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.

In observance of the 2016 Africa Industrialization Day, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA) and the African Union are partnering with the Permanent Mission of the Arab Republic of Egypt in co-organizing a reception on 21 November 2016 that will provide an opportunity for key stakeholders and development partners to address the topic.

The objective of Africa Industrialization Day this year is to raise awareness on the challenges and opportunities in financing for industrialization, taking into consideration recent success stories and elaborating on how to further galvanize support for promoting Africa's industrialization.